*🛡️Sixth Schedule*

♟️Provides power to tribal communities to administer tribal areas in Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, And Mizoram under art 244 (2) and art 275 (1) of the constitution.

*💎Advantages*

♟️Democratic devolution of powers
♟️Preserves and promotes distinct culture of region
♟️Protect agrarian rights such as land
♟️Enhance transfer of funds

*💎Issues*

♟️Limited geographical coverage
♟️Financial mismanagement and rampant corruption
♟️Financial dependency over state authority
♟️Conflicts over consultation between governor and council of ministers
♟️Lack authority of resources for implementing schemes like mgnrega.
♟️Lack of codification of customary laws
♟️Lack of skilled professionals.

♟️Creation of elected village councils
♟️Regular election by state election commission
♟️Recognize gram sabha under laws
♟️Bring transparency in planning, implementation, and monitoring of developmental programmes.

*🛡️Climate Change Performance Index*

*♟️Launched* at COP30 - Belem,Brazil

*♟️Published by:* Germanwatch, New Climate Institute,Climate Action Network International

*♟️Purpose:* Tracks climate mitigation progress of the world’s largest emitters

*♟️Key Indicators -* GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use, Climate Policy

*♟️Coverage:* 63 countries + European Union
(account for >90% of global GHG emissions)

*♟️Top Performers -* Denmark (3rd), United Kingdom(4th), Morocco(5th)

*♟️Note:* No country occupies the top three positions because none is fully Paris-compatible.

♟️INDIA ranks 23rd, Sharp fall of 13 places (10th to 23rd).
-Moves from High to Medium Performer.

*🛡️Climate Change Performance Index*

*♟️Launched* at COP30 - Belem,Brazil

*♟️Published by:* Germanwatch, New Climate Institute,Climate Action Network International

*♟️Purpose:* Tracks climate mitigation progress of the world’s largest emitters

*♟️Key Indicators -* GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use, Climate Policy

*♟️Coverage:* 63 countries + European Union
(account for >90% of global GHG emissions)

*♟️Top Performers -* Denmark (3rd), United Kingdom(4th), Morocco(5th)

*♟️Note:* No country occupies the top three positions because none is fully Paris-compatible.

♟️INDIA ranks 23rd, Sharp fall of 13 places (10th to 23rd).
-Moves from High to Medium Performer.

🛡️ *Major Environmental Institutes*

♟️National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) —Nagpur, Maharashtra
♟️Central Avian Research Institute —Izzatnagar, Barreilly
♟️Largest museum in India —Chennai, Tamil Nadu
♟️Largest fish aquarium in India —Mumbai, Maharashtra
♟️Largest Zoo in India —Alipur, Kolkata. best study channel-study for civil services
♟️Largest bird park in India —Bharatpur, Rajasthan
♟️Largest Zoo in the World —Kruger National Park

*🏔️ Highest Peaks of Indian States*

👉 Trick: “Kanchen loves Kamal”

Kanchen ➨ Kanchenjunga (Sikkim)

Kamal ➨ Kamet (Uttarakhand)

Nanda ➨ Nanda Devi (Uttarakhand)

Anai ➨ Anai Mudi (Kerala – South India’s highest)

*🌍 Countries bordering India*

👉 Trick: “My Brother Never Bangs China”

My ➨ Myanmar

Brother ➨ Bhutan

Never ➨ Nepal

Bangs ➨ Bangladesh

China ➨ China

(Also Pakistan – easy to remember separately)

*🛕 States where Sun Temple is located*

👉 Trick: “Kota Mod Sun”

Ko ➨ Konark (Odisha)

Ta ➨ Tamil Nadu (Kumbakonam, etc.)

Mo ➨ Modhera (Gujarat)

*🛣️ National Highways – Golden Quadrilateral Cities*

👉 Trick: “DKCM” = Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai

D ➨ Delhi

K ➨ Kolkata

C ➨ Chennai

M ➨ Mumbai

*🏞️ Indian Rivers & Their Nicknames*

👉 Trick: “G-G-KM”

Ganga ➨ Holy River

Godavari ➨ Dakshin Ganga (Ganga of the South)

Krishna ➨ Maharashtra’s lifeline

Mahanadi ➨ Odisha’s lifeline

*🏛️ First in Indian Constitution*

👉 Trick: “Raja made Ambedkar drink”

Raja ➨ Rajendra Prasad (First President)

Made ➨ Rajendra Prasad again (First Food Minister)

Ambedkar ➨ First Law Minister

Drink ➨ Sukumar Sen (First CEC – Election)

*🛡️Women & Gender Data Highlights*

♟️Overall sex ratio = 1020 women for every 1000 men, sex ratios at birth abnormally low = 929/1000

♟️Increase in share of gender budget in total union budget to 6.5% in 2024

♟️Female Labour Force Participation Rate - 2023 = 37% (2018 = 23%), global average = 65%

♟️PMJDY - 55% account holders are women

♟️India ranked 129/146 in Global Gender Gap Index 2024, ranked behind neighbours like B’desh (99), China (106), Nepal (117), Sri Lanka (122), Bhutan (124)

♟️Women in India on average earn 70% of what men earn for the same job (globally = 80%)

♟️Women in Indian Parliament = 14.7% (lower than global avg of 27%)

♟️Literacy rate of women in India is 65% while that of men is 82%

♟️Women make up > 40% of STEM graduates but constitue < 15% of STEM professionals employed in R&D institutions

♟️More than 90% of women are involved in unpaid domestic services for household members (men = 27%)

♟️57% of the women aged 15-49 are anaemic

♟️74.10% of married women have their demand for family planning met by any modern method

♟️210 among every 1,000 persons in managerial positions are women

♟️55.63% Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan accounts held by women.

*🛡️Important Conferences Related to Environment*

♟️Ramsar Convention - 1971
♟️Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora - 1973
♟️Montreal Protocol - 1987
♟️Vienna Convention - 1988
♟️Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - 1992
♟️United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - 1992
♟️Basel Convention - 1989
♟️Rio Summit - 1992
♟️Stockholm Convention - 2001
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety - 2000
♟️UN-REDD - 2008
♟️Nagoya Protocol - 2010
♟️Minamata Convention - 2013
♟️United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) - 1994
♟️Kyoto Protocol - 1997
♟️Rotterdam Convention - 1998

*🛡️Major Wildlife Institutes*

♟️Indian Zoological Survey Centre – Kolkata
♟️Centre for Ecological Sciences – Bengaluru
♟️Indian Institute of Forest Management – Bhopal
♟️Govind Ballabh Pant Institute – Almora (Uttarakhand)
♟️Indian Forest College – Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
♟️Indian Forest Survey Centre – Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
♟️Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment – New Delhi
♟️Indian Forest Ranger College – Dehradun
♟️Indian Wildlife Research Institute – Dehradun
♟️Indian Zoological Survey Centre Kolkata
♟️Indian Wildlife Research Institute – Dehradun
♟️Indian Botanical Garden – Kolkata
♟️Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) – Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)
♟️National Environmental Research Institute – Nagpur
♟️Rainforest Research Institute – Jorhat
♟️Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Institute - Coimbatore
♟️Forest Productivity Centre – Ranchi
♟️Central Avian Research Institute - Izzatnagar, Bareilly.


*🛡️Pacific Ocean*

*💎Warm Currents:-*
♟️1. Kuroshio Current (Japan Current)
♟️2. North Equatorial Current
♟️3. South Equatorial Current
♟️4. East Australian Current
♟️5. Equatorial Counter Current
♟️6. Alaskan Current

*💎Cold Currents:-*
♟️1. Oyashio Current
♟️2. California Current
♟️3. Peru Current (Humboldt Current)
♟️4. West Wind Drift (part of Antarctic Circumpolar Current).

*Supporting Balanced Fertilization:*
*Nutrient-Based Subsidy Rates for Rabi 2025–26*

_Ensuring affordability and productivity in Indian agriculture_

Key Highlights

🌾 The Government *approved the Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for Rabi 2025–26* , effective from 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026, covering Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers, including DAP and NPKS grades.

💰 The *tentative budgetary requirement for Rabi 2025–26* is approximately *₹37,952 crore ,about ₹736 crore higher* than the budgetary requirement for the Kharif 2025 season.

📊 Over *₹2.04 lakh crore allocated* between 2022–23 and 2024–25 towards *NBS subsidies* , ensuring affordable access to fertilizers.

🏭 NBS has driven *significant growth in domestic fertilizer production* , with P&K fertilizers (DAP and NPKS) output *increasing from 112.19 LMT in 2014 to 168.55 LMT in 2025* (as on 30.12.2025), reflecting over *50% growth* during the period.

*🛡️Dead Sea*

♟️The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is a saline lake in southwestern Asialocated between Jordan and Israel.
♟️It lies to the east of the Mediterranean Sea and south of the Sea of Galilee.
♟️It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.
♟️It is deepest Hypersaline Lake in the world.
♟️To the west of the Dead Sea, the Judaean Mountains rise less steeply and are much lower than the mountains to the East.
♟️It is located at an elevation of 5 meters below sea level, making it the Earth’s lowest land-based feature.
♟️ *Salinity* The Dead Sea is one of the Earth’s saltiest water bodies, almost ten times saltier than ordinary seawaters. It has a salinity of 34.2%.
♟️It is the fourth saltiest body of water in the world, ranking behind Antarctica’s Don Juan Pond and Lake Vanda, and Djibouti’s Lake Assal.
♟️The Dead Sea has one main inlet (the Jordan River) but does not have an outlet and so loses its water mainly through evaporation.
♟️The high saline level and the harsh climate make the lake devoid of life, except for algae and other microorganisms.
♟️It has a density of 1.240 kg/L, which makes swimming in its waters similar to floating.

*🛡️Mineral and Energy Resources – Key Points*

*♟️Mineral resources*- Metallic & Non-metallic
*♟️Metallic*- Ferrous (iron ore) & Non-ferrous (copper)
*♟️Non-metallic*- Organic (coal, petroleum) & Inorganic (mica, limestone)
*♟️Exploration by*- GSI, IBM, & State Departments

*💎Mineral Belts in India*

*♟️1. North-Eastern*- iron ore, coal, bauxite
*♟️2. South-Western*- ferrous metals, bauxite
*♟️3. North-Western*- copper, building stones

*♟️Odisha*- largest iron ore & bauxite producer
*♟️Madhya Pradesh & Odisha*- major manganese producers
*♟️Andhra Pradesh*- largest mica producer
*♟️Jharkhand*- highest coal reserves
*♟️Chhattisgarh*- top coal producer
*♟️Rajasthan*- top petroleum producer

*♟️Uranium & Thorium*- vital for nuclear energy

*♟️Renewables*- solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas

*📊 *Economic Survey 2025-26*
India transitions towards a high-growth and resilient economy*

*Key Takeaways*

📈 *Real GDP growth for FY27 projected in the range of 6.8-7.2%*

❄️ *Inflation* fell to historic lows, averaging *1.7% in Apr-Dec 2025*

🏭 *All major sectors contributed to growth* , with manufacturing gaining momentum, and services leading expansion

🌍 *Record exports of USD 825.3 billion in FY25* , registering a 6.1% year-on-year growth

💰*Fiscal position strengthened* , with improved revenue buoyancy and rising capital expenditure

📊Monetary conditions supportive; *Repo rate at 5.25% in December 2025*